History of Tokyo | Living Tokyo

12/11/2010
02/27/2021

Tobacco & Salt Museum, Shibuya

The Tobacco and Salt Museum is a many-sided institution that specializes in the collection and study of materials relating to tobacco and salt, which were?monopoly goods in Japan.? Many tools and ads, and replicas of people’s living are displayed. Tobacco arived in Japan?around 1600,?and led to the creation of new and artistically significant forms of material culture.? First, shredded tobacco was smoked in long, slender kiseru pipes; after the late 19th century renewal of contact with the West, cigarettes came into favor. Since Japan has no viable natural sources of salt, the early inhabitants were forced to use their ingenuity in producing sea salt. Over the centuries, this disadvantage resulted in a sophisticated, unique salt technology. To know more about tobacco and salt in the history of Japan, visit the museum! Museum of Tabacco & Salt Location: Shibuya Open Hours: 10:00-18:00 Entrance Fee: JPY100 Web Site: http://www.jti.co.jp/Culture/museum/Welcome.html (Eng) — Higherground Co.,Ltd. 2-8-3 Minami-Aoyama, Minato-ku, Tokyo, Japan TEL:03-6459-2230 HP:http://www.higherground.co.jp/ TOP PAGE:?https://livingtokyo.net/

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07/26/2010
02/28/2021

History of Tokyo American Club

Tokyo American Club (??延根??≪?＜?????潟??????) is a membership social club in Minato-ku, Tokyo. There are about 5,000 members and 12,000 family members from 52 countries. Tokyo American Club was established in 1928, as a social club for the Japanese and American people in Japan. Within months, the club gathered about 200 members. The first club located in the top 3 floors of Iwamoto Building in Yuraku-cho (???罐順??), right across the street from the Imperial Hotel(絽???純????????). The second club opened in Marunouchi (筝吾????) in 1935, with facilities such as a library, and a billiard room. Tokyo American Club in Marunouchi The club has been developing since it was established, but unfortunately, it was closed with the outbreak of WW2.?? Soon after the war ended, the club restarted in Marunouchi with 350 members. However, the club was not all the same as it was before the war.? The type of the members changed: more businessmen arrived in Japan, often with families. Considering the situation, the Board of Governors decided to emphasize family services. In 1954, the club bought a new site in Azabudai (藝糸?????). Former club building in Azabudai. By the 1960s, the club in Azabudai had become overcrowded.? Construction of a new […]

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07/15/2010
02/28/2021

Beer Gardens in Tokyo

Ebisu is the neighbor area of Shibuya, near Roppongi and Hiroo. Near by Ebisu Station (Hibiya line, JR Yamanote line) is Yebisu Garden Place(??究??絲帥???若????潟??????ゃ??): a compound square of shopping, offices, restaurants & cafes. ???Yebisu??? of Yebisu Garden Place is spelled in an archaic style. The origin of the place name ???Ebisu??? or ???Yebisu??? is Yebisu Beer, a product of the Japan Beer Brewery Company, which built its headquarter in this area. Yebisu Beer, named for Ebisu(??究??絲?), one of the Japanese Seven Gods of Fortune(筝?胼霛?) which represents agriculture and commerce, was introduced in 1890 by Japan Beer. In 1901, a train station named Ebisu was built by the company to facilitate distribution of its beer. The town Ebisu was founded around 1928 as a community developed around the Japan Beer facilities, where Yebisu Garden Place now stands. Ebisu in 1938. Japan Beer had been reorganized and was renamed Sapporo Breweries Ltd. in 1964. After the breweries were moved to Chiba in 1988, the area was redeveloped as the Yebisu Garden Place, which opened to the public in 1994. Speaking of Beer, there are many beer gardens in Tokyo during the hot and humid summer. With some casual hors d’oevures, why not […]

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07/11/2010
02/28/2021

Guide of Azabu – Foreign Embassies & Slopes

South Korea, Australia, France… There are many embassies in Minato-ku, Tokyo, especially around Minami-Azabu. ?There are more than 40 embassies in the Minami-Azabu area. You may have visited Minami-Azabu to make some procedures at the embassy of your country. Many of these embassies were built in this area when Japan opened the country to foreign trade and diplomatic relations, in the mid 19th century. This concentration did not happen by chance. ?There are mainly 2 reasons for this. Firstly, the then Japanese government thought that it would be relatively easy to guard the embassies if they were concentrated in one area. Secondly, there were broad lands waiting to be utilized in Minami-Azabu. ?There used to be many mansions of Daimyo (紊у??, feudal lords in the Edo period) around this area, which were no longer in use. Speaking of Daimyo, in Azabu, there are many places, especially slopes, named after Daimyo. For example, Aoki-zaka(????????, Aoki slope) in the picture above, was named because there used to be the mansion of the Aoki family in the Edo period. ?Today, the Embassy of France stands where the mansion used to be. Walking by the slopes, you will often see signs, on which the […]